Wireless apparatus interference avoidance/resolution method and apparatuses

• US 6,928,266 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Zehavi, Ephraim, Nevo, Ron, Monello, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/438,215
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/88, 455/41.2, 455/426.1, 455/63.2, 455/423, 370/338, 370/278, 370/281, 370/497, 370/282, 370/286, 370/290, 370/343, 370/480
• US Class Current: 455/63.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless device is provided with a wireless transceiver to transmit and receive signals in accordance with a first protocol to and from network devices of a first wireless network, and a controller manager to control operation of the wireless transceiver. The wireless device is further provided with a wireless receiver to receive signals transmitted in accordance with a second protocol by network devices of a second wireless network, and the controller manager is equipped to control operation of the wireless transceiver based at least in part on at least one signaling characteristic of the received signals from network devices of the second wireless network, to reduce interference with proximately located ones of the network devices of the second wireless network. In various embodiments, the controller manager suspends operation of the wireless transceiver whenever interference is predicted. In other embodiments, the controller manager causes an appropriate filter to be applied whenever interference is predicted.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver to transmit and receive signals in accordance with a first protocol to and from first other apparatuses of a first wireless network;

a wireless receiver to receive signals transmitted in accordance with a second protocol by second other apparatuses of a second wireless network; and

a controller manager coupled to the wireless transceiver and receiver to control operation of the wireless transceiver based at least in part on one signaling characteristic of said received signals from said second other apparatuses of the second wireless network, to reduce interference with said second other apparatuses of the second wireless network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second protocol is a frequency hopping protocol comprising a plurality of frequencies employed in accordance with a pseudo random pattern, and the controller manager includes logic to ascertain the pseudo random frequency hopping pattern using said received signals from said second other apparatuses.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to predict when interference with said second other apparatuses of said second wireless network will occur, based on said ascertained pseudo random frequency hopping pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second protocol is a constant frequency protocol, and the controller manager includes logic to ascertain the constant frequency using said received signals from said second other apparatuses.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to predict when interference with said second other apparatuses of said second wireless network will occur, based on said ascertained constant frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to suspend operation of said wireless transceiver to avoid interference with said second other apparatuses of said second wireless network, whenever an interference is predicted to occur.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to determine filtering to be employed, whenever an interference is predicted to occur, to cancel interfering signals from said second other apparatuses.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller manager includes logic to determine a notch filter, inversely formed in accordance with transmit signals of said second other apparatuses.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller manager includes logic to employ said filtering to cancel interfering signals of said second other apparatuses of said second wireless network, whenever an interference is predicted to occur.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to preemptively notify one or more of said first other apparatuses, an interference is predicted to occur.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to preemptively notify said one or more of said first other apparatuses, a selected one of suspending operation to avoid interference with said second other apparatuses and applying filtering to cancel interfering signals from said second other apparatuses.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller manager further includes logic to request one of said first other apparatuses to preemptively provide notification of a predicted occurrence of an interference with said second other apparatuses.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a protocol selected from a group of standards adopted prior to Nov. 12, 1999, consisting of IEEE 802.11(a), IEEE 802.11(b), and Home RF, and the second protocol is the Bluetooth protocol adopted prior to Nov. 12, 1999.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is the Bluetooth protocol adopted prior to Nov. 12, 1999, and the second protocol is a protocol selected from a group of standards adopted prior to Nov. 12, 1990, consisting of IEEE 802.11(a), IEEE 802.11(b), and Home RF.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises determining filtering to be employed, whenever an interference is predicted to occur, to cancel interfering signals from said first other apparatuses.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises determining a notch filter, inversely formed in accordance with transmit signals of said first other apparatuses.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises employing said filtering to cancel interfering signals of said first other apparatuses of said first wireless network, whenever an interference is predicted to occur.

15. In a wireless apparatus having a wireless transceiver and a wireless receiver;

a method of operation comprising;

(a) receiving signals transmitted in accordance with a first protocol by first other apparatuses of a first wireless network and predicting interference between signal transmission in accordance with the first protocol and a second protocol based on at least one determined signaling characteristic;

(b) determining at least one signaling characteristic of said received signals from said first other apparatuses; and

(c) operating said wireless transceiver to transmit and receive signals in accordance with said second protocol to and from second other apparatuses of a second wireless network, based on said at least one determined signaling characteristic of said received signals from said first other apparatuses, to reduce said predicted interference with proximately located ones of said first other apparatuses of the first wireless network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first protocol is a frequency hopping protocol comprising a plurality of frequencies employed in accordance with a pseudo random pattern, and the method further comprises ascertaining the pseudo random frequency hopping pattern using said received signals from said first other apparatuses.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises predicting when interference with said first other apparatuses of said first wireless network will occur, based on said ascertained pseudo random frequency hopping pattern.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said first protocol is a constant frequency protocol, and the method further comprises ascertaining the constant frequency using said received signals from said first other apparatuses.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises predicting when interference with said first other apparatuses of said first wireless network will occur, based on said ascertained constant frequency.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises suspending operation of said wireless transceiver to avoid interference with said first other apparatuses of said first wireless network, whenever an interference is predicted to occur.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises preemptively notifying one or more of said second other apparatuses, an interference is predicted to occur.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises preemptively notifying said one or more of said second other apparatuses, a selected one of suspending operation to avoid interference with said first other apparatuses and applying filtering to cancel interfering signals from said first other apparatuses.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises requesting one of said second other apparatuses to preemptively provide notification of a predicted occurrence of an interference with said first other apparatuses.

27. A collection of apparatuses comprising:

a first plurality of apparatuses equipped to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a first protocol; and

a second plurality of apparatuses equipped to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a second protocol, wherein at least one of the second plurality of apparatuses is further equipped to receive signals transmitted in said first protocol, and determine at least one signaling characteristics of said received signals transmitted in accordance with said first protocol, and predict interference between signal transmissions in accordance with said first protocol and said second protocol based on said at least one determined signaling characteristic and to reduce said predicted interference with proximately located one or ones of said first plurality of apparatuses based on said determined at least one signaling characteristics of said received signals transmitted in accordance with said first protocol.

28. The collection of apparatuses of claim 27, wherein the at least one of the second plurality of apparatuses includes logic to predict an interference with said first plurality of apparatuses is to occur.

29. The collection of apparatuses of claim 27, wherein the at least one of the second plurality of apparatuses includes logic to suspend transmit operation to avoid interference with said first plurality of apparatuses, whenever an interference with said first plurality of apparatuses is predicted to occur.

30. The collection of apparatuses of claim 27, wherein the at least one of the second plurality of apparatuses includes logic to applying filtering to cancel interfering signals of said first plurality of apparatuses, whenever an interference with said first plurality of apparatuses is predicted to occur.